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Warriors' Ezeli cleared for action

By Diamond Leung dleung@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted:
06/09/2014 07:29:13 PM PDT

Updated:
06/09/2014 10:30:50 PM PDT

Warriors center Festus Ezeli said Monday he has been cleared to play after spending all of this season recovering from right knee surgery and that he expected to participate in the Las Vegas Summer League next month.

"They think it's a good idea, so I probably will," Ezeli said of the Warriors at the team's basketball camp for children at Sonoma Day Country School in Santa Rosa.

"Just go to Vegas, get some touches and get my rhythm back. Just get back to playing. Get back to being comfortable on the court."

The 6-foot-11 Ezeli would join a summer league team that's expected to include Ognjen Kuzmic and Nemanja Nedovic. He said he has played pickup games in the Sacramento area since the end of the season and noticed an improvement in one particular area since he was sidelined throughout the playoffs.

"Explosiveness," he said. "I'm getting it back. I'm actually trying to add more to it."

This week marks the anniversary of offseason surgery to reinforce the MCL and PCL in his knee, which was sprained during the Warriors' regular-season finale in 2013. The team's medical staff at that time estimated a recovery of six to nine months, but Ezeli was ultimately lost for this season coming off his rookie year.

A Warriors first-round draft pick in 2012, Ezeli averaged 2.4 points, four rebounds and nearly one block in 14.4 minutes while playing in 78 games and starting 41 of them. He recently met with new coach Steve Kerr.

"He knows what I bring to the table, and he's excited to coach me," Ezeli said. "I'm excited for a new year to actually finally be playing. It's going to be fun.

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"We've got to buy into Steve Kerr because we all want to win, so I know we'll all do that."

High schools

Kahlil McKenzie announced that he's planning to transfer from De La Salle and enroll at Clayton Valley Charter for his senior year.

McKenzie couldn't be reached for comment but posted to his Twitter account: "Transferring from De La Salle going to Clayton Valley Charter family decision not answering any questions about it but I'm a Ugly Eagle."

De La Salle football coach Justin Alumbaugh confirmed that McKenzie, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle, is leaving the school.

The five-star recruit is the son of Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie and has offers from colleges from across the country. He recently said he has narrowed his decision to Tennessee or Arizona and will announce his pick at The Opening, a prestigious Nike football camp, July 10.